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Marie Dressler

Marie Dressler

Actor · Died July 28, 1934, aged 65 · Cobourg, Ontario, Canada

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Marie Dressler (born Leila Marie Koerber, November 9, 1868 – July 28, 1934) was a Canadian-American stage and screen actress, comedian, and early silent film and Depression-era film star. Successful on stage in vaudeville and comic operas, she was also successful in film. Leaving home at the age of 14, Dressler built a career on stage in traveling theatre troupes, where she learned to appreciate her talent in making people laugh. In 1892 she started a career on Broadway that lasted into the 1920s, performing comedic roles that allowed her to improvise to get laughs. From one of her successful Broadway roles, she played the titular role in the first full-length screen comedy, Tillie's Punctured Romance (1914), opposite Charlie Chaplin and Mabel Normand. She made several shorts, but mostly worked in New York City on stage. Her career declined in the 1920s. In 1927, Dressler returned to films at the age of 59 and experienced a remarkable string of successes. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1930–31 for Min and Bill and was named the top film star for 1932 and 1933. Marie Dressler died of cancer in 1934.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 9, 1868
Died
July 28, 1934 (aged 65)
From
Cobourg, Ontario, Canada
Works as
Actor
Titles
11 on MovieCove · 33 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 32% in 30 days

What are Marie Dressler's films like?

Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
43%
Self
26%
Morality
17%
Power
14%
Family bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 8 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 5 · Serious 2 · Dark 1

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 4 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 4 · Charged 3 · Intense 1

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 4 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 3

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 6 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 8 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

9 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 4 of 9 analyzed roles.

Hero
4 of 9
Trickster
2 of 9
Mentor
2 of 9
Ally
1 of 9
Show the 9 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
4
Warm
3
Melancholic
3
Tense
3
Romantic
2
Other
5

How their films linger

Bittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Marie Dressler's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 4 of their 11 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Marie Dressler's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

33 credits, 11 with a MovieCove page; 14 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Becoming Marilyn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as (archive footage)

  • Copyright Comedies and More (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as Archive Footage, "Tillie’s Tomato Surprise"

  • That's Entertainment! III(1994)

    as (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • That's Entertainment, Part II(1976)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Big Parade of Comedy(1964)

    as Marie Truffle in 'Reducing' (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • All in Good Fun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Archive Footage

  • Dinner at Eight(1933)

    as Carlotta Vance

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Christopher Bean (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Abby

  • Broadway to Hollywood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Vaudeville Act (archive footage)

  • Tugboat Annie(1933)

    as Annie

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Prosperity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Maggie Warren

  • Emma(1932)

    as Emma Thatcher

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Politics (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Hattie Burns

  • Reducing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Marie Truffle

  • Min and Bill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Min Divot

  • Let Us Be Gay(1930)

    as Mrs. Bouccicault

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Caught Short(1930)

    as Marie Jones

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • One Romantic Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Princess Beatrice

  • The Girl Said No (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Hettie Brown

  • Anna Christie(1930)

    as Marthy Owens

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Chasing Rainbows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Bonnie

  • The Vagabond Lover (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Ethel Bertha Whitehall

  • Dangerous Females (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Sarah Bascom

  • The Divine Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Mrs. Hart

  • The Patsy(1928)

    as Ma Harrington

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Bringing Up Father (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Annie Moore

  • Breakfast at Sunrise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Queen

  • The Joy Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Mrs. Heath

  • The Callahans and the Murphys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Mrs. Callahan

  • The Scrub Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    as Tilly

  • Tillie Wakes Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    as Tillie Tinkelpaw

  • Tillie's Tomato Surprise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as Tillie Todd

  • Tillie's Punctured Romance(1914)

    as Tillie Banks

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 90th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 33 titles from 1914 to 2022.

Highest rated

The Patsy (1928)

Midcredits 91st

Most popular right now

Dinner at Eight (1933)

Film career

  • 1914Screen debut· Tillie's Punctured Romance
  • 1914First top-billed film· Tillie's Punctured Romance

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting33 of 33: 33 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score75th

By decade

1910s4 · acting1920s8 · acting1930s15 · acting1950s1 · acting1960s1 · acting1970s1 · acting1990s1 · acting2020s2 · acting

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 60% of 5 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Marie Dressler's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 75th percentile, the median of all 11; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 64th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Approval · how many liked their films

71stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Reach · how many have seen their films

38thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Midcredits score across 11 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th3

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 11 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · actor

Caught Short (1930)

97th percentile spread · 29% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Patsy (1928)

Midcredits 91st · 82% liked

Reviewers score the acting 81/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles; fans 85, detractors 64. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Marie Dressler work with?

People who share at least 2 of Marie Dressler's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Frances Marion shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers